SUNY Oswego planetarium to explore 'Weird Lives of Close Binary Stars'

OSWEGO -- The SUNY Oswego planetarium will present "The Weird Lives of Close Binary Stars" at 7 p.m. every Sunday during January.

The planetarium's director, Dr. Scott Roby of the college's physics department, will explore unresolved binary stars -- two stars orbiting each other, which are common sights in the night sky. He will examine the lives of interacting binaries, where strange things can happen such as a star being cannibalized by its neighbor or a star dying twice. The session will include new 3D models of contact binaries generated by the planetarium's updated software.

Sunday shows will continue through June with changing topics each month in the state-of-the-art facility on the second floor of the Richard S. Shineman Center for Science, Engineering and Innovation.

The planetarium has limited seating, so guests are encouraged to arrive a bit early. Shows are recommended for children ages 4 and older. Children 17 and under must be accompanied by an adult. No food or drink is permitted in the facility.

Parking is free in the commuter lot off Washington Boulevard and the employee lot off Centennial Boulevard across from the Shineman Center.